# End-to-End Encryption

Encryption where only the sender and intended recipient can read a message, not even the service provider.

**End-to-end encryption[↗](/end-to-end-encryption) (E2EE)** is a form of encryption[↗](/encryption) where a message is scrambled on the sender's device and can only be unscrambled on the recipient's device. Not even the company operating the messaging service in between can read the content.

This is why apps offering E2EE, like many popular messaging platforms, can't hand over readable message content even if compelled to, they simply don't hold the keys. It offers strong privacy, though it also means a lost device or lost key can make messages permanently unrecoverable.